Cloud post- Zack's Death
by KissMyScars
Summary: After Zack dies, Cloud is thrown into a bitter depresion, turning to achohol for comfort. denzel is quickly going down hill, his grads failing and getting into fights at school. Reviews would be nice constructive critisizem n all dat! pleeze
1. Drunken Bastard

Cloud sat on the barstool, downing yet another bottle of hard-core vodka. It had been this way for months, since Zack died. Tifa had tried fruitlessly to reason with him.

'There's nothing you could have done, you were drugged. And even if you weren't, you would have died too.'

'I wish I had!' Cloud took his bottle and slammed the door.

* * *

He felt the wind through his blonde hair as he rode farther and farther away from the slums. No one really knew about his secret place. A little old abandonded shack alongside a dead end road, hidden well by brambles and trees. Cloud didn't use to drink. Not untill now. But in his 'alone time', he had put a small store of Vodka and bitter rum inside his little shelter. Cloud was ashamed of being so addicted to his achohol. _You gotta do what cha gotta do._ He'd think to himself. But it never really comforted him. His only comfort nowadays was the burning Vodka down his throat, charring his insides.

He had been this way since Zack's death. Drinking to forget, he guzzled a six pack every day. At first, he only wanted to forget Zack's dying, but he knew Denzel hated him, and Tifa, and probably every one else on this god-forsaken planet. Drowning himself in pity, he'd let Denzel alone, and never knew about his problems with school. One day, Denzel had walked in with a black eye and bloody nose, oblivious to Cloud, who sat watching him come through the door with glazed eyes.

'How was your day?' Cloud asked, voice rough from the achohol. Denzel looked at Cloud, but he didn't see his striking blue eyes, just clouded glass.

* * *

'Sorry, Reno, I haven't seen Cloud since about two thirty.' Tifa answered Reno at the door.

"Well, were is he?'

'I don't know. He left a while ago.'

'Okay.' Reno jumped into his mustang and sped off, searching for Cloud. Looking along an old dirt road, he spotted Cloud stumbling out of the thorn bushes, obviously drunk. Cloud tried to get on his motorcycle, but he began to retch, and he fell, passed out.

* * *

'Yo, I'm the one that's supposed to pass out drunk.' Cloud looked up to see what looked like a man with a red porcupine on his head. Reno. Cloud closed his eyes again, not wanting to deal with the slightly-very annoying red head. 'C'mon, yo, Denzel's waiting for you downstairs.'

'Gimme a minute.' Cloud groaned. What would Denzel think of him now?

Cloud trudged downstairs, hair ruffled from sleep. Denzel wouldn't look at him, but Marlene rushed up to him and wrapped him in a hug.

'I'm glad your not sick anymore, Cloud.' Cloud awkwardly patted her back, and she let go. He sat at the table beside Denzel. He wouldn't meet Cloud's eye. 'Maybe I'll give you a ride on Fenrir later.' Cloud offered.

'If your not drunk.' Denzel muttered. Cloud pretended he didn't hear.

'Can I get a beer?' Reno asked, usual smile playing his lips. Tifa's back stiffened. Cloud tried to hold his composture, but his will gave in. 'One for me too.' Tifa almost threw Reno's bottle at Cloud's head, but got one for him as well. Reno shot Tifa a guilty look, and Denzel walked out, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Cloud gulped down his seventh bottle of ale. Even Reno had stopped before him, at his third.

'Ima go 'or a ride.' Cloud muttered, stumbling towars the door. 'But you're drunk, yo! You're gonna get yourself killed!' Reno protested.

Cloud opened the door, just as Denzel sped in, knocking the usually agile Cloud over. He noted Cloud's glazed eyes, and stopped dead.

'You drunk bastard!' Denzel shouted. 'Enough, Denzel!' Tifa yelled in return.

'I'm not drunk. I'm djust fiine, shee? Cloud tried to stand up, but he leaned all his weight on the wall.

Denzel shook his head in disgust and stormed up to his room. Cloud passed out.

* * *

The first thing Cloud heard when he woke up was the muffled voices of Reno and Tifa arguing. Cloud snuck downstairs as quietly as his stumbling feet would allow, which wasn't very quiet, but no one heard him over the shouts.

'He's not going to get any better here!' Reno yelled

'Like he will at your place! You are drunk basicly everyday!'Tifa argued

'Your running a bar, for crying out loud! How do think _that's_ gonna help him?'

'Cloud's stronger than you think!' Tifa tried persuading Reno not to Take Cloud away, but she knew it was a lost cause.

'If you won't do it for Cloud, do it for Denzel. What do you think it's like watching his role model stumble home every day?Never knowing when he'll lash out? Cause _thats_ gonna do him a whole lotta good! Look at me! I'm a drunkard who relies on some bald guy to put up with me and pay my bills!'

Tifa stared at Reno in shock. Is that what his life had been like? She always thought the scars on his face had been an accident, or from a battle. Now she wondered if her theory was correct. Tifa sat at a barstool, defeated. 'Take him.'

* * *

Cloud sat in the backseat of Reno's mustang, trashcan between his knees.

'Are we the-'

Cloud's question was cut off by him retching.

'Almost. did I ever tell you about the 50th floor?' Reno asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

By then, they were at Reno's apartment building.

'Nice place.' Cloud commented, looking over the walls bathed in white, then his eyes fell on a pair of undergarments on the floor. Cloud shook his head.

'Don't judge, yo.'

Reno led Cloud to room with hardwood floors and beige paint. 'Bathroom's over there.' Reno pointed out, pointing towards a door on the right side.

'And while you're here, you won't get a drop of any Vodka, rum, beer, ale, OR wine.'

'What about wine _coolers_?

Reno shook his head. Cloud let out a groan.

'B-but..._you_ get to fair.' Said Cloud, sounding like a for year old.

'Life isn't fair.'

* * *

Cloud couldn't sleep. It was his first night without an achohol-indused sleep. And the grunts and moans coming from the other room didn't help, either. Cloud shifted into a more comfortable position. _Reno's gotta have a beer around._ Cloud got up and left his room, only to find a drunken (naked) woman step out of the room next to him. Cloud sheilded his eyes, but she stepped closer.

'Reno didn't tell me he had a roommate. A pretty shexy one too. C'mon, baby, lemme shee dose eyes.' Cloud slowly opened his eyes. Drunk or not, he despreatley needed love right now.

She smiled and stroked his cheek, and he grabbed her hand and led her to his room.

* * *

Cloud groaned. He didn't quite remember what happened the night before. He then felt someone shift next to him. _I didn't...oh shit. Tifa's going to kill me.!But we aren't even in a realationship, though...right?_

"Mmmmmmmm' The woman next to him groaned as she shifted and pulled Cloud closer to her. Cloud tilted his head and pressed his lips next to hers.

Cloud broke away. 'You should probably go, before Reno wakes up.'

"Yeah...He was fun too.' She gathered her clothes and left, and Cloud fell asleep.


	2. Did I Just?

Reno sat on a couch, drinking another beer, looking very satisfied with himself.

'You finally got laid, yo! I'm so proud!'

Cloud glared at him.

'You _got me _laid. Is htis some sort of sick...coping skill? And you think _I_ need therapy.

Reno laughed. 'Yo, it's just part of life. We came, we saw,we fucked. Easy.'

Cloud shook his head. 'Man, come on, I need a beer, this isn't fair.'

'Not likely.' Reno took a long swig from the bottle. Cloud's left eye twitched. 'I hate you.' Reno just laughed.

'I'm gonna tell Tifa on you if you don't give me one.'

'C'mon yo, that's childish.' Cloud raised his eyebrows and walked away.

* * *

'Tifa, Reno got me laid!' Complained Cloud, sounding rather like a four year old.

'You did _what_!?

Tifa slapped him so hard, Cloud's head swung back.

'_Ow!_ What did you do _that_ for?'

'Get out.'

'What? Why should that matter to you? We're not in a realationship, and it wasn't my fault, anyway.'

'You're right, We aren't in a realationship, are we? I want you to leave, Cloud, and don't come back.'

Denzel appeared at Tifa's side, looking like an abandoned puppy. In some sense, he was.

Cloud walked away, quietly closing the door between him and Tifa.

* * *

He felt the wind through his blonde hair as he rode farther and farther away from Tifa, and his life.

Cloud passed his shelter. A short way down the road was a bridge overlooking a rushing river. During the spring thaw, it was still ice-cold. Cloud stopped his motorcycle.

* * *

'Tifa, have you seen Cloud.'

'_YOU GOT HIM LAID!' _Tifa shouted into the phone.

'Have you seen Cloud?' Reno had genuine concern in his voice, so Tifa answered his question.

'I saw him about fifteen minutes ago. Why? Isn;t he with you?'

'No, he's not, but i think i might know where he is. bye.' Reno hung up.

* * *

Reno got in his mustang and sped off towards Cloud's little hut. He stopped in front of it, but he didn't See Cloud's motorcycle. Confused, he slowly drove on. He reached the bridge just in time to see Cloud jump.

'Cloud!'


	3. Reverie

**Hey. This is the last Chapter! Reviews please!**

Reno ran down to the bank, searching the waters franticly. _There_. He spotted a blonde head bobbing under the water, letting the current take him. Reno took off his jacket and shirt and bravely sstrode into teh frigid river. Reno searched the water. After ten minutes, Reno located Cloud's body and fished it out of the water.

_so cold, so cold._

* * *

_I'm flying._ Cloud plumeted to the icy waters below. The water was so coooold. But after awhile, he wasn't cold anymore. In fact, he was filled with a warm glow.

'Again, seriously?' Cloud opened his eyes and saw Zack staring down at him. 'I thought I told you you were too young to die. Now, I want you to go back there, and live the way you were supposed to, for me, my living legacy.'

But Cloud didn't want to go back to the cold world. He was happy here, with Zack again...

* * *

Reno carried the lifeless bod back to his car. A tear fell onto Cloud's cheek. _Why didn't I see it coming. My stupid fault, you bastard._

Reno got his cell from his car and called Rude.

'Meet me at the 50th floor. '

'I told you, I don't want anything to do with your shenanigans.'

'_Now._' Rude heard the urgency in Reno's voice, and agreed.

* * *

Cloud opened his eyes. _So cold._ He closed them, falling into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Reno pulled into the parking lot, and carried Cloud to the elevator. He thought he felt a shallow breathing, but he thought it was just hope. By the time he got to the 50th floor, Rude was already there.

'What happened?'

'Cloud jumped off the bridge.'

'What?'

'Call Tifa.'

Reno layed down Cloud on his bed, and peeled off his clothes. He replaced them quickly, and placed blankets on him. Reno felt for a pulse. A samll, barely-there beating was felt under his fingertips. Reno wanted to shout with joy. There was hope!

* * *

Cloud opened his eyes a crack, he saw Reno walk out of his fell into another dreamless sleep.

* * *

' Tifa, I need you to get over to Reno's place right away.'

'Rude?'

'_Now!_' Tifa didn't object.

* * *

'How is he?' Rude asked.

'Well, he's breathing.' Reno said, trying to appear nonchalant, but Rude could see his concern.

Tifa bursted through the door. 'What happened!?'

'It's Cloud-He jumped off the bridge.'

Tifa's voice shook. 'No-' her shoulders shook uncontrolably and she fell into Rude's arms, crying and unconsolable.

* * *

A startling thought awoke Cloud. _Tifa._

* * *

'Hey, he's doing better, okay? He's breathing. Would you like to see him?'

Tifa nodded and et Rude lead her to Cloud's room.

It only made Tifa worse. She saw his skin, so pale, tinted blue, and his wonderful spikey hair, wed and bedrangled.

She rushed to his edside and grabbed his hand.

'He's so _cold._'

Rude and Reno nodded. 'Would you like us to leave us to leave you alone?' Reno noted how genle Rude was with Tifa. she nodded.

* * *

Tifa looked at his face. At one point, there _was_ love between them. She mused. But no longer.

* * *

Cloud felt a small, gentle, but strong hand on his. He flet the energy to open his eyes. _Tifa_.

* * *

Tifa closed her eyes, and a tear splashed onto Cloud's hand. she opened her eyes, to see Cloud's striking mako-indused eyes looking into hers.

'Cloud!'

Rude and Reno rushed in.

'Is he alright.' Tifa nodded and smiled.

'So tired.' Cloud offered a small, see-it-if-you-squint smile, and slept once again.

* * *

'He's coming home, home, home!' Denzel and Marlenes chorus could be heard throughout Seventh Heaven. Tifa smiled at their joy. She was so happy Cloud was better. _I just hope it lasts._ Tifa kicked herself for thinking that, but was interupted in her reverie when she saw a familiar mustang pull up.

'Cloud!' Marlene and Denzel rushed out the door, and met Cloud as he got out the backseat of the car, wrapping him in a hug.

Reno and Rude stepped out of the front, going to peel the children off from arounf his waist. Tifa ran up and hugged Rude.

'Hey Denzel, how about that ride later.' For probably the first time, Cloud smiled.


End file.
